1974 Ferrari 365 GT4 BB Boxer

Written by Steve Ahlgrim

A serious, high-speed missile which rewards the serious pilot and frustrates the casual driver

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The all-new 365 GT4 BB appeared on the world stage at the 1971 Turin Motor Show and received a rapturous reception. Of monocoque/tubular steel construction, it featured a mid-mounted, flat-12 engine derived directly from Ferrari’s sports prototype program. Pininfarina clothed the state-of-the-art mechanical package in a sleek yet uncluttered berlinetta body carrying trademark black lower panels. Not only did the Boxer have six rear lights, but six exhaust pipes too-one-upmanship as only the Italians know how.Mid-1976 saw the 365 Boxer replaced by the evolutionary 512, but to many the 365 remains the definitive Berlinetta Boxer, despite-or perhaps because of-its raw and uncompromising feel.S/N 17751 is one of the earliest Boxers made and was built for a VIP motoring connoisseur par excellence, King Hussein of Jordan. Along with the Shah of Iran, King Hussein was one of the great patrons of European luxury car manufacturers during the era, and most carmakers were keen to ensure he received one of the first examples of any important new model.Finished in a fashionable shade of light red known as “Rosso Dino,” over an unusual combination of beige cloth and black leather for the interior (which was only available on very early examples), factory records show S/N 17751 was sold directly to His Royal Highness. The 365 GT4 BB Boxer was flown to the Royal Palace in Amman from Venice’s Marco Polo Airport in April 1974, having been completed at Maranello in the preceding month.How long the King retained his shiny new supercar is not known, but he cannot have covered much distance with it, as 30 years after delivery the odometer reads just 6,152 km. This makes it perhaps the lowest-mileage 365 GT4 BB extant. In German ownership since 1993, the car is described as being in #1 condition and is offered complete with owner’s handbook, service book, spare parts catalog, sales and service agent’s booklet, and tool kit.

Steve taught high school auto shop before moving to Atlanta, GA, where his love of sports cars led him to FAF Motorcars, the former Ferrari dealer where he served as General Manager and Vice President. He has been a self-proclaimed “one-trick pony,” coveting the Ferrari marque. He has been involved in concours judging for over 25 years and is a member of the IAC/PFA, an international committee overseeing high-level Ferrari concours judging. He is chief judge of the Celebration Exotic Car Show in Celebration, FL.